An internal feud that threatened to leave the Soprano mafia family "sleeping with the fishes" seems to have been resolved.
James Gandolfini, who plays Tony Soprano in the hit TV show, is to withdraw his lawsuit against TV network HBO, paving the way for a deal. The actor had filed suit against the company in an effort to release him from his contract.
James currently earns $400,000 per episode as part of a $10-million contract he negotiated in 2000. The impasse came about when he demanded a new $20-million contract – putting him on a par with many top network stars – and threatened to pull out of the show. HBO responded with a $100 million counter suit.
The 41-year-old has since scaled back his request to $16 million and a deal is said to be close. "This will end for everyone the way it should have done in the beginning, because it was in everyone's interest that this be solved," said a HBO executive.
Gandolfini's spokesman has meanwhile told reporters that "temperatures have been taken down and there is optimism in the air."
The series, which has won an incredible 50 Emmys in its five-series history, is widely considered HBO's most successful show.
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